Personal information managers (PIMs) are tools that greatly enhance access to information required in various social and business activities. The information may include lists of important telephone numbers, scheduled events or meetings, addresses, important dates, things to be done, items to be purchasedxe2x80x94in short, almost any type of data that might be needed by a person.
One type of PIM that has already been developed is the Timex Data Link Watch(trademark) wristwatch. This watch includes a microprocessor and non-volatile memory used to store data that can subsequently be recalled to appear on a liquid crystal display (LCD) screen on the watch. Data that are used by the watch are initially entered on a personal computer, for example, using Microsoft Corporation""s Schedule+(trademark) or Lotus"" Organizer(trademark) personal scheduling software. To store selected data within the non-volatile memory of the watch, a data link feature is executed in the software running on the personal computer that causes display lines on the computer screen to flash in a manner that encodes the selected data. A light sensor on the watch detects the flashing lines on the computer screen, and the data encoded and conveyed thereby are decoded by a processor in the watch and stored in the memory of the watch for subsequent recall by the user.
While a wristwatch that stores data for access by a user is a significant step forward in making the PIM data available whenever required, it has several limitations. The LCD of the watch is relatively small, enabling only a few characters of text to be displayed. Further, the memory of the watch is very limited. Editing of the data stored in the watch is impractical, since there is no keyboard or other facility to enter alphanumeric characters. Unless the watch is brought back to the personal computer to download new data, the information stored in the memory of the watch cannot easily be changed.
A different type of data management system is required that is sufficiently small to be readily transportable like the Data Link Watch(trademark), but is capable of displaying more data and includes additional functions that are not practical in the Data Link Watch(trademark) PIM device.
U.S. patent application entitled xe2x80x9cUSER INTERFACE FOR A PORTABLE DATA MANAGEMENT DEVICE WITH LIMITED SIZE AND PROCESSING CAPABILITYxe2x80x9d, Ser. No. 08/826,542, filed Apr. 3, 1997, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, discloses another personal information manager having a display on which a plurality of lines of data can be presented to the user. The device is generally the size of a pager and can be worn by the user easily with a belt clip. The device includes a first pair and a second pair of controls (e.g., buttons) for user interaction and control of the display. Generally, data in the device are stored in a hierarchical manner. As used herein, the data comprises a dataset or database where individual records comprise one or more fields. The buttons allow the user to switch between xe2x80x9clevelsxe2x80x9d of the hierarchical structure as well as within each of the xe2x80x9clevelsxe2x80x9d. Data can be displayed in a Table of Contents list, or individually, as records.
It should be noted that small electronic computing devices often referred to as personal digital assistants (PDA) also are commonly available. Many such devices are handheld devices, or palm-size devices, which comfortably fit within the hand. One commercially available device is sold under the trade name HandHeld PC (or H/PC) having software provided by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Washington. Generally, the PDA device includes a processor, random access memory (RAM), and an input device such as a keyboard and a display. The keyboard can be integrated with the display, such as where the keyboard is incorporated as a time sensitive display. Although such devices are useful as a personal information manager, in some situations, the PDA device may be too large to be conveniently carried by the user.
There is a continuing need to provide a more flexible personal information manager for storing and accessing datasets. Particularly, there is a need to view and update a dataset on a personal information manager.
A system and method for rendering information on a wireless personal information manager device includes reading viewing control parameters in a dataset stored in memory on the device. The dataset further includes a plurality of records to be selectively viewed. The viewing control parameters are processed to render the records selectively on the device. Instructions can be provided on a computer readable medium to implement the method.